Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-17
DEATH IN THE DYNAMO.
THE HANGMAN AND HIS GALLONS
RELICS OF BARBARiSM.
DR.. SouthwicE Discourses OF Moro HUI.
name Agent for the infection Of Cap
ital Punishment-Descrip Of His
Deadly Electric Chair.

| modern science for carrying the death SEN
tence into effect il capital cases, is an enthu-
siastic investigator, and since the commits
sion was created by the last legislature he
has spent considerable time in making re-
searches.
ssDo you believe in capital punishment,
doctor?n was asked.
81 believe the death penalty is necessary,
he replied, ''for there Is class Of people, a
lower order of beings, to whom it is positive
ly necessary. | refer to people who como
from line of murderers-that is, men who
have descended directly from families Of
criminal proclivities. The man who walks
around ready to commit willful, premedi-
tated murder should die. He belongs to a
race that we want to wipe from the face OF
the earth The laws are liberal enough, with
the various degrees of homicide and man
slaughter, to protect individuals who do it IN
the heat OF passion or under intense provo
cation
"And about women?'
eff the law is changed from hanging to
death By electricity then it should and
would be made to include women as well as
men. Any discrimination between the sexes
would make the law unconstitutional"
would there be any objection TO execut-
ing women with electricity"
''No, sir; there would not. l think there
would no longer be tho same prejudice that
there is now, because hanging is 4 poor way
of inficting the death penalty"
"How would you use electricity"
"Just see here said DR.. Southwick,
jumping up and seating himself in an arm
chair Tho condemned man can sit natur-
ally in a chair like this place his hands on
the metal arms and converse with those
around him. The metal plates would be
connected with powerful dynamo and at
the proper moment somebody in another
room would press button, close the current
and the fatal shock would pass through the
body of the subject. The charge would go
straight through tho heart and lungs and
penetrate the system, death instantly result
ing. The expense of the apparatus with which
TO execute by electricity in this city would
be about $50. Connection could be made
with the electric light station, and the ex-
pense OF an execution thereafter would be OF
little consequence 1t would not cost any
more than cigar to kill q condemned man
after that. 1t would not be necessary 10
maintain extensive and powerful machinery
in ell the prisons and it would be vastly
cheaper than hanging"
'Iou believe then il Ciectricity?'
Electricity Is the coming power. Death
is instantaneous and the body is not defaced.
There is not the Inorbidness Of q hanging,
which is q relic CT barbarisrn. Just SEQ 4
recent execution here-Heman's [ think it
was-whel the hanged man breathed fifteen
minutes after the drop fell II that is in
Simultaneous death then I would rather have
a lingering death. -
"Have you considered poiSons as a means
OF executing criminals
'Prussic Geld has been suggested, but
neither that nor ga-rotin5 has met with any
favor. 4 few have advocated the Cuillotine,
but think it IS p barbarous mode of causing,
death. Hardly any one fayors hanging in
preference 10 electricity. the very system
being b2-ba-ous, Is are the method and
paraphern2Aa used
do YOU expect t--at yo-- Plan vi be
cdopssis''
4 sincerely E7pe !: VII :: :: i atopts.
b. the coming legislature other states VII
undoubtedly al1p. :, c-l mink t1a-
within Two ye2-s = w. b -1Cr-el 81 over
the world Il VOID c=--.G---E l-s bscter
than obliterc.ei-.:, the death penalty. Ind il
the case @ . woman there vo1-2 b much
less objection - It's operation tan there s
TO hanging"
Dr. Southwic,l added that in England the
same question had arisen, but 10 satisfactory
substitute for hanging had been suggested.
One OF the commissioners suggested that
various means be adopted and the condemned
cuiprit be given his choice of deaths.
State Senator Daniel Il. Mcmillan has
written 4 letter to the commission in which he
says: The principal objection TO the present
method IS that it Is primitive in its origin
and barbarous ii its effects. It lacks every
element OF C1actneSS and precision. II Il
absolutely impossible TO arrange formula
as to The size Of the rope, the length of the
drop or the heft of the weight and the dis
tanco OF is fall, as these several elements
mus not only depend upon tho size and
weight bat the general build and make up OF
the convict The want of exactEess in these
several clements sometimes leads to the mutt
lation OF The body by severing the head; to
unnecessary and severe suffering by reason
of the breaking OF the rope, and also to death
bv suifocat.on where there has been an i'm
proper adjustment All these things com
bine TO mako hanging by the neck most
brutal
Il am heartily in favor Of the application
of electricity for the purposes in question
for the reason that it is simple, sure and
painless. l thnk that if the places Of execu
ton were limited TO two il this state say
one at Auburn and one at Sing Sing, tht
| two state prisons and that ell convicts @!
soon as condemned to suffer the dealt
penalty should be confined in one Of thoss
two prisons depending somewhat upon thu
| locality of the trial, it would be a vast i'm
provement upon the present method of hav
| ing the criminal confined in the county jai
till the day of execution"
Regarding the machinery TO be use<
Senator Mcmillan says: These execution
could take place in the Jail proper, in room
set apart for that purpose, with no appli
ances save that of chair, with the hant
rest Of each arm properly connected witt
an electric machine, in which the condemned
might be seated and the connection made b.
| strapping q hand to the hand rest on eacl
chair There can be no difficulty whateve
in procuring o current of electricity of suffI
cient strength to paralyze the muscles @
the heart by this method. Indeed, the cur
rent that is used in this city for electri
lighting purposes is of sufficient strength t
absolutely dismember the body of any huma
being, but a current of electricity of suff
Gent strength TO cause instantaneous deaf
by passing from hand to hand through tn
heart will not mark the body in the least. "
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